Did you know that Richardson ISD seniors, including those at LHHS, are expected to complete at least 30 hours of community service during their senior year?
The volunteer hours are not a requirement of graduation, but they are “an integral component” of one of the RISD’s goals to develop a sense of “individual and civic responsibility” in each graduate of the district. Thirty hours will not change the world (most of them get to that number with one good summer mission trip), but with a 2009 graduating class near 500, this service can make a difference in the lives of many.
The student must provide documentation of his work and must write a short essay of reflection on the project and its impact. Of course, as with all service, the impact is greatest on the life of the helper, not the helpee. The lives most changed by the experience of reaching out, of making a sacrifice, of seeing a need and meeting it will be the lives of the seniors themselves. I can’t imagine any calculus lesson or lecture on Shakespeare contributing more to their life’s education.
